


Fast Car

by drpinkky



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: F/F, Jacquelyn's a mechanic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-05-08 02:22:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14684454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drpinkky/pseuds/drpinkky
Summary: Jacquelyn is a mechanic and Olivia is Esmé's assistant.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I changed the name because I feel like Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" makes a little more sense than The Eagles' "Life in the Fast Lane"

Usually, Jacquelyn Scieszka loved restoring old cars. She built her garage’s reputation on repairing vintage cars, starting with a 1966 Mustang belonging to one of her parents’ friends. He spread the word to the antique car circles and ever since then, she got most of her business from people with vintage cars. They came to her because they knew she cared about their car as much as they do. Of course, that meant the owners actually cared. 

The man who stepped out of the slate grey Oldsmobile in the service bay clearly did not. Just from the sound it made as he drove in, Jacquelyn could tell it needed a new fan belt and carburetor, at least. The brakes made a horrific screech as he stopped and the car rattled as it idled like the man dumped a pocketful of pennies in it before he left his home. It took a lot of effort to get a car to sound like that, and Jacquelyn doubted if he’d ever taken it in for a tune-up. 

She watched from the back room as the man slinked over to the front desk in the lobby to give Gustav his information, then returned to his car to wait for Jacquelyn. She stalled as long as she could gathering her tools, then when she could no longer justify his wait, went out to meet him. 

Something about his grin made Jacquelyn’s skin crawl. “Well, hello there,” he said when she approached. Jacquelyn didn’t respond except for a glare as she set her toolbox on the ground. The man tried to say more, but she ignored him to take stock of his car. He raised his one eyebrow and wandered off to the lobby. Jacquelyn watched him go and the slight pang of pity for whoever he decided to bother barely registered over her relief at his absence.

She scanned the car and each issue with it made her heart sink lower. A cracked headlight, a zip-tied bumper, and a strange discoloration on the hood all showed this man had no regard for his car, and made Jacquelyn fear what awaited her under the hood. 

Nothing she had seen before could have prepared her for the disaster of an engine. The discoloration from the hood spread under it, and seemed like the man might have poured a full two-liter bottle of cola on his car. A crust she didn’t recognize coated most of the components of the engine, and it smelled like burning food. Some kind of foil poked out of several nooks and crannies, and Jacquelyn concluded he probably cooked or heated meals on the engine. Not a problem in and of itself, but when the food is never removed, it could spell disaster. Jacquelyn gritted her teeth at the thought. 

She slammed the hood closed and picked up a large wrench, then stalked into the lobby. The man stood at the front desk, arguing with Gustav about pricing. Jacquelyn marched up to him and cleared her throat. When he turned to look at her, she folded her arms and tapped the wrench against her bicep. His eyes flickered to the wrench and his face fell.

“What do you want?” He asked, trying to maintain some bravado.

“I’m not going to work on your car.” She said sharply.

“I thought this was your thing,” he replied dismissively.

“I won’t fix your car only for you to treat it like shit.”

“Oh no, is this too much of a challenge for you?” He said snidely. Jacquelyn raised an eyebrow at him.

“Mister-” She started, then glanced at Gustav.

“Count Olaf,” he supplied.

“Mister Olaf,” she started.

“ _Count_ Olaf,” Olaf interjected.

“ _Mister_ Olaf. I won’t waste my time and my work for a person like you. Get your car in working order and then we can talk. Until then, get out of my garage.”

Olaf struggled to form a response. He sneered at her, then strolled toward his car.

“My consultation fee is eighty dollars,” she called after him, “your bill will come in the mail.”

He scoffed loudly and slammed the lobby door. Jacquelyn and Gustav grinned at each other when the car failed to turn over three times before it started. The car groaned out of the garage and the two sighed in unison. 

“How a person like him has a car like that, I’ll never know,” Gustav said. Jacquelyn shook her head and set the wrench on the desk. 

“I’m not getting that fee, am I?” she asked.

Gustav chuckled. “Probably not.”

“I need a coffee after that,” she said. 

“One for me, too,” Gustav said. Jacquelyn nodded and walked to the bakery attached to the lobby of the garage. Her friend, Larry, had suggested it a few years after she opened her business. He reasoned it would give people something to do as they waited. He reasoned correctly, and people flocked to it even if they weren’t waiting for their car. 

“Good morning, Jacquelyn,” Larry said. He handed her two coffees before she could respond. 

“Good morning, Larry, and thank you. How could you tell?”

“I watched him drive in.” 

Jacquelyn nodded and paid for the drinks. She sipped from one as she carried the other back to Gustav. He accepted it gratefully. 

“From now on, I’m going to add a disclaimer on our ads,” Gustav said. “You have to treat your car decently or we won’t help you.”

“You’d think it was common sense,” Jacquelyn mused before taking a long drink. Gustav shrugged. He turned to his computer and typed at it for a moment, then angled it towards her. The disclaimer ran along the bottom, just small enough to see. 

“Fine print. Good choice.” 

Gustav nodded. Jacquelyn leaned against the desk and tried to decide if she should just close early today to decompress when Larry stuck his head through the doorway connecting their businesses. A strident horn drowned out whatever he said, and drew Jacquelyn’s attention to the offending car as it whipped into the garage.

“Oh wow,” Jacquelyn murmured when she recognized it as a Panther De Ville. This time, Jacquelyn appreciated the roar of the car as it indicated nothing wrong with its functioning. She looked for the nearest reflective surface to make sure she looked presentable for whoever stepped out of the car. She pushed some of the hair that fell out of her ponytail behind her ear and rubbed at a grease spot on her chin. 

The Panther purred while its driver idled in the service bay. Jacquelyn gasped in shock at the paint job on it, and changed her assessment of the owner slightly. Anyone who could put black and white stripes on a car like that was not to be trusted, she decided. 

After a moment, the car turned off and two women stepped out of it. A blonde on the driver’s side and a redhead on the passenger’s. They both wore pinstriped suits, though the blonde’s was cream with black stripes, while the redhead’s was the reverse. Jacquelyn couldn’t take her eyes off the redhead as the woman followed the blonde into the lobby.

“Mechanic.” The blonde’s voice pulled Jacquelyn’s attention back to her business. 

“Jacquelyn Scieszka,” Jacquelyn said, offering her hand. The woman squinted at her and did not shake it. After a moment, Jacquelyn pulled her hand back and tried to subtly wipe any grime on it onto her jeans. The blonde woman’s scrutiny made Jacquelyn uncomfortable.

“I wanted to have my car looked at. A friend of mine told me you are the _innest_ mechanic for antique cars, did you know that?” 

“I was not aware.” Jacquelyn shot a glance at Gustav. He shrugged slightly, then handed the woman a blank information form. 

“We just need you to fill this out, and then Jacquelyn can get started,” he said to the blonde. She rolled her eyes and set her car keys on the desk.

“That’s why my assistant is here. Olivia, you do that while I go look at that bakery. I saw it as we passed and it looked just delightful.”

Olivia stepped up to the desk from her position behind her boss’ shoulder. “Olivia Caliban,” she introduced herself with a bright smile, and offered her own hand for Jacquelyn to shake. Jacquelyn did, hoping there wasn’t any grease or oil left on her hand. The blonde woman marched off to the bakery, and Jacquelyn felt a bit of sympathy for Larry. She probably had an excessive coffee order to go with her over-the-top taste in cars. Olivia glanced at her boss as she left.

“I’m sorry about her,” she said quietly when the blonde woman disappeared into the bakery, “Mrs. Squalor can be very blunt sometimes.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Jacquelyn said. Gustav slid the information paper in front of Olivia. She pulled a pen from her purse and filled it out. When she finished, Jacquelyn tapped on the cell phone number.

“If I may, whose number is this?”

“Mrs. Squalor’s,” Olivia said.

Jacquelyn nodded. She grinned at Olivia. “Why don’t you add yours, too, so I can reach you if she’s unavailable?”

Olivia raised an eyebrow, but returned the grin. “That sounds like a good plan.” She wrote her number below Mrs. Squalor’s. 

“Excellent,” Jacquelyn said as Olivia handed the paper to Gustav. He tucked it into a folder in the filing cabinet next to his desk. “The fridge in the waiting room has water, and Larry’s bakery really is delightful, to use Mrs. Squalor’s words.” 

Olivia nodded and turned around. She sent another smile over her shoulder at Jacquelyn, then started off to the bakery. Jacquelyn watched her go until Gustav poked her in the side.

“You are so predictable,” he said with a grin.

“I have no idea what you mean,” Jacquelyn said, feigning innocence. Gustav rolled his eyes. Jacquelyn picked up the wrench and the keys from the desk, then walked out to the car. 

She lifted the hood and examined the engine. Despite her questionable taste in decoration schemes, Mrs. Squalor clearly valued her car and kept it in order. Jacquelyn worked methodically, and first checked the fluids, then the belts. Every element of the engine looked brand new, though Jacquelyn couldn’t figure out why such a flashy woman wouldn’t drive this car all the time. She cleaned a slight buildup off of the battery contacts, but otherwise the Panther was in perfect condition. 

When Jacquelyn finished checking the engine, she shut the hood and rolled her head to loosen up her neck muscles. The one downside to her job was how stiff she felt after leaning over for too long. She leaned backwards to pop her back and noticed Olivia approaching the service bay. Suddenly, she became very aware of the late afternoon heat, and pulled up the hem of her shirt to wipe the sweat off her face. When she finished, she looked back to see Olivia staring at her, mouth hanging slightly open. A water bottle rolled around her feet. After a moment, Olivia shook her head, gathered the water bottle, and entered the garage. 

“I was worried about the temperature,” Olivia said as she held out the water, “and just wanted to see if you needed a drink.” 

“Thank you,” Jacquelyn said. She drank gratefully, as her work on the Panther made her completely forget about other things, like dehydration. “I appreciate you thinking of me,” she said when she finished. Olivia nodded. 

“It gave me an excuse to come out here,” Olivia shrugged, “I had a feeling you’d be better company than my boss.” 

Olivia’s words made Jacquelyn’s heart race. Jacquelyn glanced around, looking for something to keep their talk going. 

“What kind of woman would put stripes on a car like this, anyway?”

“The same one who would go out of her way to find the loudest horn in all The City for it,” Olivia said. “She says it’s all very _in.”_

A smile tugged at Jacquelyn’s lips. “Are you saying Mrs. Squalor is Cruella de Vil?”

Olivia beamed at her. “Perhaps.”

“Good to know.” Jacquelyn threw the empty water bottle into a recycling bin near the door. “I’ve got one last thing to do, and then you’ll be good to go.”

“Wonderful,” Olivia said, “do you mind if I say here?” 

“Not at all,” Jacquelyn replied. 

After Jacquelyn returned to the car, Olivia made no attempt to restart the conversation, which Jacquelyn greatly appreciated. Too often, people interrupted her work to talk, but Jacquelyn couldn’t focus on both things at once. Olivia seemed content to just watch Jacquelyn work. Jacquelyn checked the air pressure on each tire, and smiled up at Olivia when they all turned out properly filled. 

“That’s all,” she said.

“I’ll go let Mrs. Squalor know. Is there anything we need to do?” 

“Have her talk to Gustav at the desk.” 

“Will do.”

Jacquelyn watched Olivia hurry over to Mrs. Squalor, who had, at some point, transferred herself to the waiting room. Jacquelyn noted with dismay the new positions of the potted plants on the tables. Apparently, Mrs. Squalor’s sense for _in-_ ness extended to other people’s things. 

Jacquelyn washed her hands and joined the group at the desk. Gustav explained their billing process while Olivia took notes on a legal pad. She tore one page off, folded it, and slipped it in her pocket, then set the pad on the desk.

“And you will receive your bill in the mail after about two business days,” he said. Mrs. Squalor nodded. 

“You have a good system,” she said. The compliment caught Jacquelyn off guard. She looked at Olivia, who seemed just as confused to hear that kind of praise coming from her boss. “I’m looking forward to doing business with you again.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Mrs. Squalor.” Jacquelyn said. She handed Mrs. Squalor her keys. “Your car is in fantastic shape.”

“It is marvelous, isn’t it?”

Jacquelyn nodded. 

“Well, I think we should be off.” Mrs. Squalor said. 

Olivia nodded. She followed after Mrs. Squalor after a smile at Jacquelyn.

“Wait!” Gustav called out as they left the building. “You forgot your- Oh, I think it’s for you.” He said, and handed the notepad to Jacquelyn. She read the loose, loopy handwriting and grinned. 

_Call me._


	2. Chapter 2

Jacquelyn smiled at the note until Gustav cleared his throat. He retrieved Mrs. Squalor’s information sheet and passed it to Jacquelyn with a grin. Jacquelyn copied Olivia’s number onto the notebook and sighed happily. 

“Are you just going to stand there?” Gustav asked after a moment. “Or are you going to call?”

“I don’t have my phone on me,” Jacquelyn said. 

Gustav chuckled. He shooed her away from the desk, and she went to the back room to find her phone.

Instead of calling Olivia immediately after she added her number, however, Jacquelyn turned her attention to her current project. A cherry-red 1959 Cadillac Eldorado sat in the middle of the workroom. She bought it from one of her parents’ friends a few years ago for cheap because he swore up and down it would never run again. Not only did she get it running, she restored it to its former glory, but she still needed a few things before she could take it out on the town. For example, the radio didn’t even take cassette tapes, and getting a custom replacement done took an unexpectedly long time. 

She tinkered with the wipers for a while until Gustav stepped in. 

“I’m heading out,” he said. 

“Have a good night,” Jacquelyn replied, engrossed in her task.

“Did you call Olivia?”

The question immediately pulled Jacquelyn out of her focus. She shook her head. “Didn’t want to look too eager.”

“You’re ridiculous,” he said. 

Jacquelyn rolled her eyes but walked over to her things all the same. She held up her phone for Gustav to see as she opened Olivia’s contact and tapped the call button. He nodded and ducked out of the workroom as the phone rang.

Olivia picked up on the second ring. “Hello?” She sounded exhausted.

“Hi, Olivia. This is Jacquelyn.”

“Oh, hi!” Olivia’s voice took a much cheerier tone immediately. “How are you?”

Jacquelyn chuckled at the small talk. “Doing well, and you?”

“Better now that I’m home.” 

“Understandable.” Their conversation stalled for a moment until Jacquelyn glanced at her things. Olivia’s legal pad sat on top of her purse. “You know, you left your notebook here when you left.”

“Did I? Oh, silly me.” Olivia’s grin was audible. “Should I swing by tomorrow to pick it up?” 

The thought of seeing Olivia again, so soon and without Mrs. Squalor’s presence, brought a smile to Jacquelyn’s face. “If that works for you.” 

“Wonderful, I'll let her know I'm taking lunch out. Knowing my luck, Esmé might find some errand for me by then, but I’m looking forward to seeing you!”

“You too,” Jacquelyn said. 

“Thanks for calling,” Olivia said, “I hope you have a good night.”

“Good night,” Jacquelyn said, then waited for Olivia to hang up, just in case she needed to say anything more. Then she strutted out to the lobby, where Gustav and Larry sat and looked at her expectantly. 

“How’d it go?” Gustav asked.

“Well, I’d assume,” Larry noted. Jacquelyn smiled and nodded.

“She’s coming by tomorrow,”

“A date? Here?” Larry teased. 

“To pick up something she left,” Jacquelyn corrected and rolled her eyes. 

“Ah, of course,” Larry said.

“When should we vacate the premises?” Gustav asked.

“I don’t know what you think is going to happen, but around lunchtime.” 

The two nodded in unison. Jacquelyn left before either could ask more and returned the plants in the waiting room to their original positions. Gustav and Larry finished up what was left of that day’s work and got ready to go home. 

“I’m happy for you,” Gustav said as he passed on his way toward the door. 

“Thank you,” 

“You have to tell us about it afterward though,” he added.

Jacquelyn nodded. He smiled and left for the night. Larry left the bakery soon after.

“Good night, Jacquelyn!” He called before locking the door. 

“Good night,” she replied. 

She finished repositioning her waiting room, then gathered her things from the workroom in the back. She checked the locks on the back doors, then left through the front and locked it behind her. 

She slid into the front seat of her red pickup and plugged in her phone, but turned the volume down on the radio to make room for her thoughts. As she drove, she considered how she should approach seeing Olivia again. Whether she should dress up, how much makeup she should wear, if her hair should go up or down. With each new thought, she realized, her protests against their meeting being a date seemed weaker and weaker. Or, if not a date, then certainly something more than it seemed. 

Jacquelyn dropped her keys on the sideboard next to the door as she entered her house. She pulled her work boots off, set them neatly under the large piece of furniture, and stared at them for a moment. Years of hard work left them stained with innumerable substances, but they were worn in and made it easy to stand for hours at a time. She wondered if she should wear a cleaner pair of shoes tomorrow, then shook her head. After all, it was still a work day. If she wore anything else, she’d have to close early, and possibly call a chiropractor. She stood and stretched, then meandered to her room in the back of the house.

Jacquelyn pulled a t-shirt and pajama pants out of her dresser, and barely resisted the urge to plan her outfit for the next day at the same time. _Shower first,_ she decided. She set her clothes next to the sink, turned on the water, and brushed her teeth as she waited for it to heat up.

After ten minutes, Jacquelyn stepped out of the shower with a plan. She pulled on her clothes for the night, then opened the drawers under the counter. She’d wear light makeup tomorrow. Nothing that would run if she got sweaty. And of course, red lipstick. Jacquelyn set her waterproof mascara and eyeliner on the counter and turned her attention to her lipstick. It took her the better part of an hour to narrow her choices from fifty lipsticks to five. Two bright red liquid lipsticks, a maroon tube, and two others labeled “red velvet” from different manufacturers, one liquid and the other solid. Satisfied, she placed them to the side and returned to her bedroom to plan her outfit.

Not that there was much to plan. Jacquelyn only wore tank tops or t-shirts when she worked. The real consideration was whether Olivia would notice if she wore an older shirt or a newer one. She went with a brand new white t-shirt and her least stained pair of work jeans. 

Satisfied with her choices, Jacquelyn set her phone alarm thirty minutes earlier than she usually did to give herself some leeway to put on her makeup, then sank into her bed and quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Jacquelyn woke up five minutes before her earliest alarm. She considered trying to get those last few moments of sleep, then rolled out of bed when the alarm rang. She changed clothes, then put on the eyeliner and mascara. After another few minutes of deliberation, she still could not decide which of her lipsticks to wear. Rather than let herself get too hung up on the decision, though, Jacquelyn took a picture of them and sent them to Gustav. She brushed her teeth as she waited for his response.

J.S., 6:25 A.M.: I need your movie director advice.

G.S., 6:25 A.M.: You flatter me.

J.S., 6:26 A.M.: Which one? 

J.S., 6:26 A.M.: (2 attachments)

G.S., 6:27 A.M.: One of the bright ones

J.S., 6:27 A.M.: Thanks.

G.S., 6:27 A.M.: You excited?

J.S., 6:28 A.M.: Yes.

J.S., 6:28 A.M.: Very.

G.S., 6:28 A.M.: Good to hear. See you in an hour.

Jacquelyn smiled down at her phone, then grimaced when a glob of toothpaste foam dripped on the screen. She spit into the sink and wiped her phone on a hand towel, then applied her lipstick. After one last check in the mirror, she pocketed the tube and walked into the kitchen.

The oven clock read 6:30, which meant she had enough time to make two travel mugs of coffee, one for the road and one for work. 

Coffee helped her focus, simple as that. Without it, something as simple as changing a tire became an ordeal. Sometimes, she felt like a bit of a jerk when she came in to work with a mug in each hand and none to share, but that feeling was better than the fog she’d slog through otherwise. 

The coffeepot took a few minutes to brew, so Jacquelyn gathered her things until it beeped. She poured her cups, slung her bag over her shoulder, and strode out to her car. 

Jacquelyn set the cups on the hood of her car to dig through her bag for her keys. Once she unlocked the truck, she moved the cups into the holders. As she started the car, she wondered what kind of place Olivia might want to go to lunch and stopped in her tracks. She jogged back to her house to grab a denim jacket, just in case it was cold. 

Larry greeted Jacquelyn at the front door. He took her half-empty cup so she could fish her keys out of her bag.

“How many coffees should I have ready for you?” He asked. 

Jacquelyn smiled at him as she unlocked the garage. “One, I think. I’ll let you know if that changes.”

Larry nodded. She threw her free arm over his shoulders as they stepped into the lobby. “I’m kind of nervous,” she murmured. 

“You? Nervous?” Larry asked exaggeratedly, “I never thought I’d see the day.” Jacquelyn laughed and took her coffee back from her friend. 

“Thanks for that,” she said and walked to the service bay.

She didn’t have much to do yet, as no customers had arrived. Rather than wait in the lobby for someone to show up, though, she reorganized her tools in the service bay. Despite her meticulousness with them, the work of the day before still left them in disarray. Not to mention, waiting around for something to happen made her feel antsy. She didn’t realize Gustav had arrived until he popped his head in to let her know someone came in and to give her a water. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

Jacquelyn looked up from her torque wrenches. “I’m alright. I’m good.” 

“Great.” He set the bottle on a counter near the door. “We’ve got a customer on the way,” he said as he left. 

“Thank you, Gustav,” She called after him.

The first two cars of the day only needed minor tune-ups. Both times, they went off without a hitch. The third one, however, proved to be a bit more difficult. 

The girl who brought it in couldn’t have been more than seventeen. “It makes a clacking noise as it starts,” she explained, ringing her hands in worry. “It’s been doing this for a while.” 

Jacquelyn smiled at her sympathetically and lifted the hood to try to diagnose the problem. 

“How old is this car?” She asked at the sight of the battery, which was almost as corroded as Olaf’s was.

“I don’t know, I bought it used.” 

Jacquelyn scanned the rest of the engine and found it in decent shape. The oil needed changing, but the coolant was fine, and nothing else seemed to be amiss. She related the information to the girl, who took notes in her phone. 

“And you’ll definitely need a new battery,” Jacquelyn said. “I’m surprised you could start it at all.”

“Sometimes it doesn’t,” 

Jacquelyn nodded. The girl stepped out to make a call, and Jacquelyn started to work on the oil when she spotted Olivia walk through the front doors. 

Her red hair was in the same bun on top of her head as last time, but today she wore a yellow blouse and a pair of black slacks. She smiled when Gustav greeted her. Jacquelyn, distracted by Olivia’s arrival, didn’t pay attention as she changed the oil until she felt something warm and wet hit her stomach.

“Shit,” Jacquelyn groaned. She scooped as much of the liquid as she could off her shirt, which still left a brown stain on the white fabric. She peeled off her shirt as she walked quickly to the sink. She tried to ignore the memory of Olivia’s face from the day before and focused instead on salvaging her outfit. The dish soap on the counter mercifully pulled the grease out of the shirt, so now Jacquelyn had a wet white t-shirt to deal with instead of one covered in engine oil. She wrung it out as best she could, then remembered the jacket she’d grabbed earlier. 

Jacquelyn threw her shirt back on, turned around, and walked directly into Olivia. 

“I am so, so sorry,” Olivia said quickly. “Gustav told me you’d be out here, so I came to say hello,” she trailed off, seemingly unsure of what else she could say. She appeared to be actively trying to focus her attention on Jacquelyn’s face, and she blushed faintly. 

“The car threw up on me,” Jacquelyn said after a moment of silence. Olivia nodded as if that was a sentence she heard every day.

“Sorry to hear that.” Olivia offered. 

Jacquelyn shrugged. Olivia accompanied her to her car to grab the jacket, then Jacquelyn led the way to the back. 

“Here’s your notebook,” she said. Olivia took it with a grin. 

“I really appreciate this,” Olivia said. “Can I buy your lunch today?”

Jacquelyn shrugged. “You don’t have to.”

“What if I want to?” 

Jacquelyn nodded. “Alright. Just let me finish this car and then I’ll show you a great sandwich shop near here.”

Jacquelyn managed to wrap up without any more disasters. The girl’s mother came by to pick up her daughter and make plans for the car. They settled on it staying at the garage until a new battery came in. Once the two left, Jacquelyn turned to Olivia. 

“Sorry that took a bit, you’re on a time limit.”

Olivia shifted her purse and shrugged. “Esmé gave me a two-hour lunch break when I mentioned I was coming out here. We have plenty of time.”

Jacquelyn nodded, then showed Olivia to the restaurant she mentioned. The woman at the register called out Jacquelyn’s regular order to the kitchen as soon as they stepped inside. Olivia, overwhelmed by all the options, just asked for the same thing as Jacquelyn. 

“The horseradish sauce is a little spicy,” Jacquelyn warned after they sat down. “They make a new batch every morning.”Olivia nodded. A slightly worried look darkened her face for a split second. Jacquelyn smiled. “If you need to, scrape it off. That means more for me.”

Olivia nodded again. When their sandwiches came, she took a tentative bite to taste, then a grin spread across her face. 

“Oh, that’s good,” she said through a mouthful of roast beef. “I see why you get this.” 

Jacquelyn smiled. They ate their meal mostly in silence, until Jacquelyn set her sandwich on her plate and leaned toward Olivia. 

“So, you’ve read _The 101 Dalmatians_?” 

Olivia's eyes went wide as she tried to chew quickly to respond. She nodded as she swallowed. 

“I was a librarian at an elementary school before I started working for Esmé. I read just about every book there twice. It was one of the first ones I read, actually. When did you read it?”

“A friend gave me a copy when I was younger.”

“I’m so glad that happened. Sometimes it feels like no one else has read it.”

Jacquelyn nodded. She took another bite of her sandwich and studied Olivia.

“So, how do you go from school librarian to Esmé Squalor’s assistant?” She asked. Olivia chuckled. 

“She came through on a parent’s night tour with her daughter. Took one look at me and offered me a job. Something about pitying me for having to work there. I loved it at that school, but opportunities like that don’t just sneak up on you like that.” 

Jacquelyn nodded at her wise words. They chatted on and off through their lunch, trying to make the most of the two hours Esme gave Olivia. Jacquelyn couldn’t help but note how Olivia’s eyes sparkled when she talked about a book she loved, or how animated she was as she talked. Too late, Jacquelyn realized how much she wanted to see Olivia smile again, or make her laugh, or just spend more time with her. 

As they walked back to the garage after they finished their meal, Jacquelyn barely resisted the urge to ask if that was a date. There was always the chance it was, but the opposite seemed far more likely, and Jacquelyn’s desire to not possibly make a client uncomfortable won out. Olivia was, after all, one of her customers. One of her customers who _seemed_ interested in her. 

They said goodbye as they walked up to Olivia’s car in the parking lot. It was a small sporty thing, not quite what she thought Olivia would go for. 

“I get that all the time,” she said, grinning. 

“Good choice, though. I like it.” 

“Thank you,” Olivia beamed.

After a slightly awkward pause, Jacquelyn offered her hand. “See you soon?” 

Olivia nodded. She shook Jacquelyn’s hand for maybe a little too long, or so Jacquelyn hoped. 

Jacquelyn watched her until she turned the corner, using the time to prepare some snappy responses for whatever Gustav and Larry were going to say, then stepped into her garage. All was quiet, aside from a man at the counter chatting with Gustav and Larry. At the sound of the bell, both men turned their attention to her. 

“Ah, Jacquelyn!” Monty called. Jacquelyn nearly ran across the lobby to hug him. 

“You didn’t tell me he was back from Peru!” She said accusingly to Gustav over Monty’s shoulder. He shrugged in response. 

“I wanted it to be a surprise, my dear!” Monty laughed. 

“You got what you wanted. How are you?” 

“Wonderful, wonderful. And you?”

“Just back from a date,” Larry said. Monty’s face lit up at his words.

“Not a date,” Jacquelyn said quickly, “a thank you lunch for helping someone out.” 

“Ah, of course, of course,” Monty said with an almost knowing grin. “Well, since we’re on the topic of food, it’s time we got down to business. Larry, Jacquelyn. Gustav and I are planning what will be a delightful dinner for a week from tomorrow. Sometime around eight?” 

“I’ll be there,” Jacquelyn said without hesitation. Monty always held the most wonderful dinner parties.

“Count me in, too.” Larry said. 

“Excellent. Excellent!” Monty cried. “I’m trying to have as many people there as possible. It’ll be so nice to have everyone back together.” 

“I’m looking forward to it already.” Jacquelyn said sincerely. 

**Author's Note:**

> I’m on tumblr at drpinkky and lesbianscieszka!!!


End file.
